Maserati | The Truth About Cars

Review: 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S

By Robert Farago
March 13, 2009

Walking towards the Maserati GranTurismo S, I felt like a teenager trying not to stare at a Playmate's breasts. While the "base" GranTurismo's elegant lines, dignified proportions and powerful stance had captivated my attention, the S dared me not to look. I know; it's stupid. At the ripe old age of near-50, I'm supposed to have left my spoiler infatuation with the pet rock slowly starving to death in the basement. And yet, somehow, the GranTurismo's tail made the Maser's design pop, blending pole position with pole dancing. Yes, well, I'd just driven the base Maserati GranTurismo and found the brakes, seats and handling wanting. So I was ready to be disappointed. If you're jump aversive, here's the bottom line: I was and I wasn't.

Review: 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S

Posted in Car Reviews | Maserati | 42 comments

2008 Maserati GT Review

By Jay Shoemaker
January 9, 2008

Thanks to modern speed enforcement, the idea of leaping large continents in a hugely fast, spectacularly comfortable car has become something of a quaint notion. And yet, upscale manufacturers still compete to build the ultimate GT (Gran Turismo). Reflecting the concept’s European origins, the short list of candidates for this honor all originate on the other side of the pond: the Mercedes CL63, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB9, BMW 650, Jaguar XKR and the Maserati GT. Having owned or reviewed all but the new Maserati, I decided to see if the mad Italian has what it takes to trump its continental cousins.

2008 Maserati GT Review

2008 Maserati GT rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Maserati | 41 comments

Maserati Quattroporte Automatica Review

By Jay Shoemaker
February 14, 2007

Since its introduction in 2004, the fifth gen Maserati Quattroporte has been a sedan poised on the brink of greatness. Its fatal flaw: a clunky automated manual transmission ill-suited to the model’s luxury mission. Unlike some propeller-badged Germans we could name, Maserati’s Italian parent heeded the catcalls directed at its high tech gearbox. FIAT sourced a ZF six speed fully automatic transmission to cure the problem, subito. So, are we there yet?

Maserati Quattroporte Automatica Review

Posted in Car Reviews | Maserati | 67 comments

Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT Review

By Robert Farago
August 14, 2006

Backseat branding is easy. Porsche? Sports cars. Ford? Sedans. Hummer? Assault rifles. Maserati? Who knows? The company likes to promote a philosophical connection to its distinguished racing heritage. But Maserati's competitive heyday ended on May the twelfth 1957, when the Marquis de Portago’s Ferrari somersaulted into the crowd at Guidizillo, triggering a vicious pan-European anti-motor sports backlash. Since then, Maserati has concentrated on making unreliable sports cars and sporting sedans. These days, the resurgent automaker builds Jaguars.